A Work in Progress
by Lacewing
Summary: What happens with a pacifist run goes wrong? How do you fix it? Especially when you are only a little kid and everyone expects you to fight. And you only want to save Mom.
1. Chapter 1

A Work In Progress

By Lacewing

Chapter 1: Golden petals like rainfall

Usual Disclaimers apply, fanworks going on and I don't own shit unless it's an OC (which I can't promise there won't be one or two snuck into the narrative somewhere)

Oh. And I curse.

Blame being in fandoms where main characters use more profanity than a drunken caravan of sailors, truckers and British pop singers combined.

As always as well, I have paid works that I put waaaay more work into making all grammically and spelling perfect, but for every 4000 words I type that is about 20 extra hours of editing to catch every little detail. (loads of rewriting, reworking and whatnot) so for fanfic (which I write for fun, and for warming up, or when I'm in the middle of that 20 hours of editing work before I send a piece to my editor and have it come back covered in red marks and crying for me to do over AGAIN….*cough*) I give a quick cursory look over and make sure there aren't too many glaring errors.

Then hope you my readers can enjoy it despite it's many flaws.

And do see at the bottom for notes about some of my other fanworks.

I shan't bore you gentle readers any further with my random rambles and thus I begin our latest story;

-0-

Of a child. Trembling, cold, and in pain. Huddled among half golden flowers. Petals still fell glimmering like tiny drops of golden rain as they settled to the ground.

The child didn't move, just slowly opening eyes to see a face looking down. Not an overly kindly face it was either.

"You took quite a fall didn't you?" the voice that spoke didn't match the face very well.

The child blinked, the face slowly coming into clearer focus, and… it was a flower?

A smiling flower. "Howdy! I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower. What's your name?"  
The battered looking child opened their mouth to speak, then racking coughs shook the tiny form until flecks of red blood stained the golden petals.

The flower that identified himself as 'Flowey' grin began to turn up a notch, becoming more crazed and sinister as the child struggled in pain.

"It looks to me that you just might not last long don't it?" he purred "I should just end all that pain right now, show you some LOVE."  
The child opened their eyes and stared up as clustering around the talking flower were small seed like pellets. The small child struggled to breathe as they closed in.

A flash of light, fire? The flower cursed and ducked out of sight, disappearing into the ground as a taller figure came into view. The child couldn't focus clearly, but heard the voice. A kind voice, with soft strong arms picking them up, and a feeling of safety.

"Hush child, you are safe now."

And for the child, darkness was all they knew.

-0-

It was weeks before the child recovered. Bandaged and sleeping fitfully, crying more. Toriel was just as glad that the fevers and chills finally passed, that the worst of the injuries healed, though it would be months before the poor child made a full recovery. She sighed as she settled back into her arm chair. Since bringing the child into her home at the end of the ruins she had moved her favorite chair from beside the fire to beside the bed that the child slept in.

Human, and in bad shape. Toriel stared at the bandages, at least no longer stained with seeped blood, when she found the golden flower monster ready to end the child she thought she had possibly been too late to save them, but that night as she cleaned and cared for the human she found that there were injuries not consistent with a fall from the outside world nor with whatever that flower might have done.

No, these injuries had been inflicted, and not by any monster from their world.

Several times she feared the little one was going to choke on their own blood, the damage done to their neck and body.

But she done everything she could, had even managed to go and get some supplies from outside the ruins without alerting anyone to whom it had been for.

This child was younger than the human child she once cared for, though there was such a strong resemblance, she found herself humming the same old lullabies she once use to sing for her own children. To sooth their nightmares.

For nightmares this poor creature had.

So small, why would anyone hurt something so innocent and helpless?

Soft choking sounds, like gulping air drew her back to the child who wept brokenly into their pillow.

"Shhh, hush little one." She soothed reaching over a soft white paw to brush back brown curls. "Does it still hurt?" she asked softly.

The child started patting their chest and it took a moment for Toriel to get the idea. "Oh," she said and gently scooped up the child holding their form close and rocking them gently. "It hurts inside." She stated and was reaffirmed with the nod against her chest.

Toriel sat back in her chair, she picked up her book and started reading out loud from it. It was a bit dry reading for a child, a botanical book about flora found in the underground. But Toriel's sweet voice brought calm to the child who eventually fell back to sleep.

Once asleep Toriel let her voice quiet until she was reading silently once more.

-0-

Toriel paused by the fireplace and glanced at the child, still a few bandages but looking so much healthier. There was a deep line between their brows as they scribbled furiously on a piece of paper. There were so many drawing around them at the moment and curious Toriel took the last couple steps up from the way to the door that left the old ruins she currently called home. She knelt next to the human and picked up a couple of the drawings.

These, were not nice drawings. Fire, darkness, a tall figure in a hat that had red eyes, like some sort of horrible monster. A real monster. Childish drawings but not childish subject matter.

"What.. what are these?"

The child paused in their scribbles and stared down at the paper. Slowly they sat up onto their knees and pointed to the ceiling.

"This.. is where you came from?" a solemn nod.

Toriel covered her mouth in horror as she saw the last drawing that the child had been working on. A small figure that looked to have been pushed. Into a deep black hole.

She reached out and pulled the child up into her hold and tucked their head under her chin "I will never allow anything like that to happen to you ever again." She promised.

The child shook, but didn't pull away, the gulping hiccups of tears.

"No one will take another child from me." She promised softly. No one was going to have this child.

Not now, not ever.

-0-

Weeks became months, then time seemed to lose meaning. Toriel found books full of a language using one's hands to talk, teaching the child who healed but still bore the marks of their injuries. Tall necklines and long sleeves covered much of the remaining noticeable damage. The goat monster taught the child to read, write. Watched the cheerful personality began to shine through. And an adventurous soul that quickly took them out of the house and all over the old ruins. At first Toriel had worried, and followed to make sure the monsters who also called the ruins home didn't cause her little adoptee trouble, nor that they would go rushing out to tell her ex husband about the little human.

But instead she watched the child make friends with the other monsters, at first they were confused, but it wasn't long before the child had themselves playmates.

And a name. spelling it out in crayon at first, then learning to sign it. Frisk. The day that Toriel shortened it to 'sweet f' she had been gratified when the child signed back 'mom' then 'horned mom'.

She liked being someone's mother.

As it was for the moment Frisk was out playing. It would be awhile before they came back and so Toriel was sitting by the doorway to the rest of the underground, reading for the moment.

Before there was a knock. She smiled slightly "Who's there?"

"Theodore" the voice came instantly and she felt herself smiling already. A friendly slightly accented voice who had been keeping her company for periods of her day. It use to be for longer periods when Frisk was not there, but now it was less time as with a growing child the puca found herself with less and less time.

"Theodore who?"

"Theodore wasn't opened so I knocked."

She laughed, covering her mouth as she accidently snorted. "that was terrible." She said with amusement.

"Tibia honest I felt inspired today." Her friendly voice said and she could hear the slight knock on the door again as he patted it. She could picture him almost, on the other side sitting against the doorway and reaching up to pat it with the back of his knuckles.

She sighed and sank down.

"What got you glum lady? You usually got a good comeback by now."

"Just.. worried, a mother's fears." She shook her head laughing a little tiredly at herself.

"your foundling?"

She paused, she'd told him that she had herself a little ward, infact he'd been the one to help her in acquiring necessary medicines in the past, and thankfully he never asked too many questions about the nature of her foundling.

"They are growing so fast." She said softly.

"Well its been… a few years since you took them on." He said.

"Years? Really? I honestly haven't noticed." She admitted. And it made her sad all over. Humans aged so much faster she noticed than monsters, soon the child likely would no longer be content to stay in the ruins. They will want to know more about the world.

More about the things Toriel had not told them about.

She paused, "You.. are strong aren't you?" she asked, she could feel the stillness even through the stone.

Then a snort "Eh, not all that special." He blew off.

She smiled "Humble too apparently." Toriel said.

"That's me, Mr Humble Pie."

"Well Humble Pie, will you.. make me a promise?"

Again that still quietness. Then an almost softly spoke "Sure lady, I'll make you a promise."

She took a long breath, "If… A human, comes through this door, will you protect them, for me?"

"A… human?" she could hear the shock.

"If I can't be there to take them on, will you protect them for me? Please. It.. is important. If something happens to me I need to know that in all the underworld someone will be there."

A long moment of silence that made her wonder if she had ruined her friendship and her cover. If he would just get up and walk away, go inform her ex husband the King about the human child she'd been protecting.

Toriel didn't even know why she felt the sudden need to get this promise. Just, a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach, a tightening in her lungs. As if someone walked over her ashes.

Suddenly there was a gusty sigh "Ok, sure, I'll keep an eye socket on this kid of yours."

And she let out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding waiting for this response.

"Thank you.. thank you my friend."

"heh.. sure, Lady. Its not that big a deal. I can't guarantee that no one isn't going to try and hurt the kid, but I'll do my best to make sure they are safe." He promised.

She leaned her head back against the door and looked up at the darkness of the ceiling over her head. It had been so very long since she'd ever seen sky that she'd quite forgotten what it looked like, it was.. green?

No, that was tree leaves.

It felt like rain, and wind, and smelled of trees.

That she could remember.

"Its all anyone can ask, I can't ask for miracles." She said to him.

He snorted "Just the impossible." He shot back.

"oh but surely it's not a reach." She said.

"Eh," he drawled out "I don't know about that, I'm a bit short of temperament."

She snorted, "Surely you aren't that short!" she decided to bite and give him his opening.

"I dunno Lady, what's the weather like where you're from?"

"Cloudy," she said softly "but the sun been giving me hope these last few years."

"Sun huh? That's a lot of hope right there." He responded.

"Did you ever see the sun before we were trapped here?" she asked him.

There was a long pause before she could almost hear the shrug "I was just a wee bone back then, can't say if I remember all that well." He admitted.

Toriel pulled up her knees and rested her chin on them. "For me the sun and sky seems to only be a memory and a child's drawing hanging on my wall." She admitted.

"Geeze Lady, you are sure being depressing today." He told her.

She thought a moment and reaching up she knocked.

Hardly a pause before she heard "Who's there"

"To." She said.

"To who?"

"to _whom_ " she corrected in her best teacher voice.

She could hear his strangled gaffes through the door "Lady, that was bad!" he told her with amusement.

"You still laughed."

"yeah… welp, my break is about up, I have work I have to get back to."

"yes, I have duties as well." She said and paused a moment, reaching up to touch the door as if she could feel him on the other side. "And.. thank you again my friend. You have done so much for me, I, appreciate it."

Silence for a long time which made her wonder if she spoke to empty air. Then a quiet "Any time. Later Lady."

"Later, my friend."

-0-

Frisk was not looking amused at Flowey at all. The golden flower was attempting to egg her on into doing something mean.

She shook her head at him. He sighed gustily, "You are boring!"

She sighed *Better boring than a stupid petal head like you.*

"Ha ha! Always a comedian." The flower retorted to her silent argument.

*still not doing it. Not now, not ever.*

"But it will be fun" the flower needled.

She could not roll her eyes expressively enough, *For you*

The flower's grin turned evil. Frisk picked up a little clod of wet mud and tossed it. "Hey!" the flower complained.

*I said No and if you try anything I am telling Mom.* she signed.

The flower sulked grumbling to himself. As there were other monsters nearby watching the pair Flowey knew this was not an empty threat. Toriel would be before Flowey could say 'die idiot'. Chasing him away with her fire magics.

"Aren't you bored? You know you can restart anytime, so even if you do something bad now you can just go back and do it again!" the flower said.

*I would know, so no. Besides, it might not even work.* she responded. *This, reset, thing* it took her a moment to find the word she wanted to use.

"Since you got here I haven't been able to reset anything, so yeah, you can do it. Why not try it, you don't have to go back far, just say.. this morning. Afterall that wouldn't hurt anything surely? Another breakfast, you can come back here and throw more dirt clods at me."

Frisk paused, debating the move *How would you know I did it then, if no one would know?*

"Oh.. I'll know." He said vaguely.

She snorted then shook her head *its almost time for lunch, I should go home.*

"You're human, do you really think that's your home?" Flowey asked, "With monsters? Once you leave these ruins they will all try and kill you and steal your soul."

Frisk looked down at scarred knuckles and shrugged. For the moment she was still here, with mom. She was safe and sound. Everyone knew her here and there was no reason to hurt anyone or for anyone to hurt her.

She had no plans on leaving. Afterall, she was a kid.

And a kid who knew already how cruel the world could be. She wasn't overly excited to get out into it again anytime soon. Not if she didn't have to. So instead she trotted past all the small maze areas and pit traps. Skipping to the house at the end of the ruins.

The smell that hit her was something burning.

Coming to the little house Frisk saw flames licking out the broken windows.

Eyes huge she half sunk to her knees. Limbs shaking as she tried to figure out what just happened.

Then she saw the dark figure by the doorway, half staggering to her knees the child ran over and found the person she'd thought of as her mom to the point she could barely remember the features of her birth mother laying there. Struggling she managed to turn her and stroke her head.

Someone had cut her, her beautiful white fur was scorched and burned off, exposing raw damaged flesh.

Slowly Toriel opened her eyes and gave Frisk a small smile "sweety…" she breathed softly.

Then crumpled to ash in Frisk's arms.

Eyes widening the inhuman raw sound that escaped her damaged vocal cords she clutched the clothing to herself echoed in the ruins.

-0-

Frisk shot up from bed, she could smell pancakes cooking. Confused she looked around, it was.. her room?

Her drawings cluttering the walls, her toys in the box at the foot of her bed, and the wardrobe with her clothing.

Everything was as it should be, the faint glow of the echo flower in the pot by her bed gave off enough light for her to rush for the light switch.

She stared down at her hands, she wore the clothing she gone to bed in, her hands were clean.

Not even any dirt under her nails from the mud she'd slung at Flowey.

"Frisk, Sweety? You up? Come get your breakfast before it gets cold!" she heard Toriel call from down the hall.

Had it all just been a horrible dream? She looked up at her reflection in the mirror standing by the wardrobe, she saw herself. Reaching up to touch the scars along her neck the sign of the damage done to her before her life here.

Frisk froze and spun staring behind her.

For a moment she thought she saw someone standing there. Darkness and evil glowing eyes with a wide crazed smile that would have made Flowey look sane.

She was still shaken when her door opened and Toriel looked in on her "Frisk?"

Seeing that face, creased with a mother's concern and not burned. No cuts, no blood.

Frisk rushed over and buried herself into Toriel's arms as she hadn't done for a couple years now. Shaking horribly as she clung to this reality.

Mom was alive…

And Frisk would do everything in her power to make sure she stayed that way.

End Notes:

Right so a couple big things, in this story Frisk is going to be a bit Genderfluid. They respond to most pronouns and sort of have a 'what the feel like today'. Often those that know them most will be a bit more neutral in referencing to them, but they themselves will often flit back and forth. For the moment they feel girly, so female pronouns.

Frisk fell into the hole of the mountain somewhere around the age of 5, and it's been close to 5 years since then. 10 is still a bit young to be adventuring, but well, they are determined.

This Frisk is mute, but due to damage to their throat that was inflicted upon them before they fell into the hole. So they have learned sign and also keep a small note pad to communicate if need be.

Names in sign are always fun as you sort of take one sign and morph it with another (I've been signing ASL since I was small. I haven't had need of it as much, though being that my spouse has started learning it for her clients, I have been getting back in practice) For instance the sign I have toriel use for Frisk is 'Sweet F'

Sweet is signed by stroking your chin downward with your fingers and curling them into the palm. Once would be for sweet tasting, twice (or more) for describing a person or someone's personality. F is made by touching the forefinger and thumb together and keeping the other three fingers up.

So make an F and stroke your chin a couple times and you have the name I call Frisk.

For Toriel deciding the name was a little more difficult. Because there is a sign for Goat and in the wrong circles it can be considered a little rude. So instead I went with Horns. Which is taking your fingers up to your forehead and acting like you are gripping the shape of horns, making a curl out from your head to curled fingers (like you are holding a bar about to do a chin up)

Mom, or mommy is touching the side of your chin with one finger and twisting it, so make the sign for Horn then Mom. It blends fairly well. But since they know each other well Frisk can shorten it more by bringing up their hands to their heads and doing the sign for Mom at head level and drawing it out in the shape of horns. (like drawing a C in the air on a vertical plane)

Or just wave and jump about a bit. LOL, you know, whatever works for getting attention.

Being mute Frisk CAN still make some sounds, but its difficult and hurts. Someday with enough healing and time they might get some semblance of a voice back, but not anytime soon.

So, still putting together a playlist for this story, currently the only songs on it really is the undertale sound track and 'The Call' by Regina Spektor from Prince Caspian.

… I need to find some more good music to help me write.

As for some last notes, I am still working on Still Breathing, I have a chapter, one that was mostly done but then lost when my new cat skin rug decided to knock my computer off my desk and I spent a month and 200 dollars to have the hard drive replaced.

So, yeah, I'm a bit behind and the new version of the chapter is NOT going as well as the old one had, so its taking me a bit. I recently just got to start up my own game of Undertale and a story started forming right off the bat. And since I am also waiting on other work to be done to be able to start serious work on my original novel, I decided to add this story to my line up.


	2. Chapter 2

A Work In Progress

Chapter 2: The Enemy of my Enemy?

-0-

Another chapter, and more work getting done in general. I am going to be working on some cover art and chapter arts to add as well.

As always, this stuff is in the raw, I am not trying to make it perfect. So there are likely to be errors. If you like the story despite its many flaws then you reader are my favorite.

Other disclaimers still apply, I don't own Undertale nor its characters. This game is awesome and if you haven't played it yet, why are you reading this story ?

Now we're off!

-0-

Sans had his boney hands in his pockets walking along a familiar trail at a reasonable amble. He wasn't in any rush, no need for short cuts.

Besides, not much else to do this day.

Other than to figure out why, after so many years, the weird time shifting anomalies had started happening again. Sans rubbed his face, it was hard keeping up with the changes, for awhile it seemed as if they stopped and were not going to happen again, and then suddenly a little over a couple weeks ago, they started up. Most times it was only a few hours lost, sometimes whole days.

It frankly was annoying.

As he reached the doorway he found it suddenly open up before him, before he could even take out a hand from his pocket to knock and see if the Lady was in and willing to share a few jokes.

Instead he found himself staring at a human child, eyes huge and face half smeared with blood.

"What the-" he was startled, not expecting this at all, and caught off guard.

The child's face creased with a stubborn determination and grabbed his arm pulling him behind them into the ruins.

"Hey Kiddo! What's the rush? There a fire or…" his voice trailed off as he felt his eye flash, his chest close.

Rather like if he actually had lungs someone just decided to knock the air out of him.

The small living space was bedlam. The walls smeared with blood furniture destroyed, a hastily extinguished fire was kept from spreading.

And the middle of it all was the former Queen of his people, Breath shallow as the child went back to her side and was next to her, holding her furred hand tightly in her own and crying.

"What.. happened?" did this human do this? Wait.. no.. if that had been the case the child wouldn't have brought him back here, obviously they were trying to save the old Lady. They looked up at him with such a pleading gaze.

Sans, wasn't sure what to do. Hell he didn't even know what happened. "Kid, can you tell me what went on here? Looks like a war zone?" he found a cloth, going over to Toriel and as he knelt next to her he check her breathing, checked the condition of her soul, her health was slowly bleeding out with the expanding blood.

The child's hands flew, like fluttering birds. If those were words he was not catching them.

"It was.. a demon." A voice suddenly said and he shifted his blue eye to another form he had not really expected to see, not here anyway.

In an old mixing bowl, the sides cracked and chipped, was a yellow flower who was usually about the place. Sans narrowed his eyes at the bud and it recoiled from him, trying to sink into the makeshift flower pot.

"Just what happened." He said.

"The others are dead, all the monsters in the ruins, Frisk has been trying to save them…" Flowey stared down "They managed to save me.. and Toriel until now, but the .. thing… Its getting stronger, as if everytime Frisk is forced to…" he paused and took a breath "Is she alive?" he seemed honestly concerned.

"Not for long if we can't get her to help." He said and pulled out his phone, he was going to need help to move Toriel. "Look, why don't you two get out of here, Go to Snowdin, it's up the path." He said "Rest, get cleaned up there, tell them at the Inn I'll cover your charge."

The child reached out and held his sleeve, their other hand moving, he glanced up at Flowey.

"Frisk wants to know if you will be safe, the demon has been dogged in hunting us."

He gave a shrug "Who knows, but I'm tougher than I look. Get going. I'll make sure the old lady is ok. Get her somewhere safe." The child was still staring at him with such a pain filled expression, concern creasing their brows and making them look older.

He paused and reached out ruffling their brown hair, "Get going, you can't be here when help gets here, else we might have a bigger mess."

After a few more moments the child rose and picked up the pot holding Flowey. Sans, really wasn't sure what was going on that the kid was trying to protect that monster too, but for the moment, there were other concerns.

But they left and he turned back to his phone, ringing up his brother he sighed "Paps, get Undyne and Alphus, we need help out here at the ruins, seems someone been on a bit of a rampage and there are a lot of dead monsters about."

There was a pause and thankfully his brother only said he was on it, Papyrus could be a real goof at times, but when the chips where down he knew that his little brother had his back.

Toriel shifted a bit and he reached out to her, closing his phone and shushing her. "Help is on the way old Lady." He said to her.

"Frisk.."

"I sent the kid to the inn in Snowdin, they will be safe there for now. "

She held up a hand and he took it, offering a smile and the touch as the only comfort he could give right now, one might even call it a cold comfort. Mentally he kicked himself for that one, no time to pun. Well there was always time to pun but currently there were more important things to deal with.

"Promise.." she panted and he shushed her.

"I Promised to keep an eyesocket on the kid for you." He said, "I will do that and I promise I will protect them to the best of my ability, until you are up on your feet again."

"I'm not sure, I'm.. getting up from this one." She admitted.

Sans wished his had lips he could bite like he'd seen others do. It looked like one of those nervious habits that he really wouldn't mind being able to have right now. "Help is coming," he told her "Just hang on a little longer, what attacked you?"

"… a demon. It.. wasn't human, nor monster." Every word was punctuated with pain, "it hunts Frisk.. my child!"

He stopped her from trying to get up again, "easy easy there sunshine, The kiddo is safe."

"Sans?" the familiar tones of his brother

"Over here!" he called out "The others?"

"On their way." Papyrus came into view. "I brought medicine" he held up the box. Sans waved him over and went through the box looking for something to stabilize the old lady.

Pap looked around looking understandably freaked out, it looked bad.

"What happened?"

"Seems something unknown is loose in the underground, and it means to give us all a very bad day. But when I find it, I'm going to send it straight to hell."

He had no promise to protect that thing afterall.

-0-

Frisk sat in the small room. The bunnies had been nice, when she and Flowey told them what Sans said they got her into a room and even a bath.

Now she sat dressed in a stripped sweater several times too big for her tiny frame and pants. Her own shoes had been saveable at least. So she wasn't going to have to worry about tripping up in them.

Flowey's pot sat on the bed net to her and the once evilest thing in the underground looked uncertain. As if he didn't know what to do.

"its, all different now, I… don't know whats going to happen anymore." He admitted to Frisk. He sounded pouty. "I'm not against killing everyone, I mean rest and it never happened, but… that thing was going to kill me." The flower shuddered huddling down on himself "until you saved me.. why did you do that?"

Frisk glanced up at him and signed.

"… why would you consider me your friend? After everything I tried to do, everything I have done, why would you…" he lasped into silence.

*The Enemy of my enemy is my friend.* Frisk offered.

The Flower snorted "Ok, that I can understand, and well, until we know what's happening, you are going to need me to translate for you."

Frisk nodded, *I don't write that fast yet.*

"And not all monsters can read."

*If I die..*

"we end up resetting and are no closer to figuring out what is going on." Flowey sighed. He'd been aware of all the resets that Frisk had already tried, trying to fix the situation, but everytime, "that demon just seems to get stronger everytime you've gone back."

Frisk nodded staring down at kicking feet *So, I can't keep doing that. Going back isn't going to make that thing go away, its going to make it stop trying to hurt people.*

"So that's why you left the ruins?" Flowey asked Frisk, who shrugged.

*It was the only thing I had not tried.*

A knock at the door and the skeleton who had helped Frisk earlier poked his head in. Seeing the child seated at the bed with the flower next to them he came in and found a chair, taking hold of it he spun it around and stradled it, "The old lady is likely to make it." He told them and saw the child start to tear up as their shoulders relaxed. "Hey there, no need for water works." The child was making a sign over and over, touching their lips and taking their hand out to touch the palm of their other hand. He glanced at the flower for a translation.

"Frisk says Thank you."

The skeleton rubbed the back of his boney head "Heh, look it was …" he seemed to decide not to say whatever he was going to say and instead looked seriously at them "Tell me everything you can about this demon. We have to find it, and stop it, before it kills everyone."

Flowey sighed "Not much to say, a couple weeks ago Frisk went back to Toriel's and then… " the flower looked unsure of how to continue.

"turned back time a few hours." He offered.

"I'd almost forgotten that you are aware of the resets." Flowey sighed "Frisk was trying to stop it." The flower glanced at the child who clapped for attention and then started signing.

"Frisk says, 'I'm just a kid, and its stronger than me'"

"I'm sure you tried your best." Sans offered, not sure yet if he should be comforting this kid, but, well the child looked so distressed.

His words didn't seem to offer comfort, instead more tears.

"'But I'm not good enough'" Flowey filled in for the child. Then went on it his own voice again "Eventually the creature changed tactics and instead of attacking just Toriel, it attacked everyone, like it was getting stronger. Everytime Frisk reset to save someone, two more would die. "

"So this last time you decided to try something different?" Frisk nodded. Then pointed at him.

"Frisk decided to leave the ruins, to see if someone would be willing to help." Flowey said "I thought it was a bad idea, I.. " the flower gave a gusty sigh "Its like it was stalking Frisk, so it seemed that long as we stayed in the ruins so would it, but now we're out here so,"

"So might this monster. We'll figure it out." He promised "I don't want more monster dying either." He stood up and hand in his pockets he looked at the child for a long moment, there was a glow in his eye as if he was weighing his options.

Frisk was not looking up at him, so did not know that perhaps she should be afraid. But Flowey was. He was terrified.

Because that look seemed to be weighing the option if their lives were worth the rest of the underground.

Then the moment passed and his eyes seemed to be normal looking and his stance relaxed. "Hey, instead of being all depressed here, come on down to Grillby's with me, I'll get you something to eat. You can meet my brother, he's always wanted to see a human." Well he wanted to catch one, but Sans was pretty sure that this little cutey had little to fear from his brother, well other than being buried under barely edible spaghetti.

Frisk looked up at him and seemed to weight their options, before the grumble of their stomach decided it for them and they got off the bed coming over to Sans' side.

The child took his boney hand in their own and he shook his head, he glanced at the flower who shook his head "Unless you want me for translation, I would feel better staying here for now."

"Sure, " he said "I'll find you something that ain't going to fall apart any moment." He said about the makeshift flower pot.

"um, that would be appreciated."

"I'm pretty sure I have an old boot laying around."

He could see the little face twitch before twisting up "I AM NOT GOING TO BE PUT INTO A BOOT!"

Sans closed the door on the raging flower and chuckled as he took the kid down the hallway. "Lets go kiddo."

He glanced down through one eye socket to see the child was laughing at the way he'd riled up the flower. He smirked a bit, for the moment he could only keep them as relaxed as he could, because they were going to have to figure out what to do very soon.

Before the King found out about there being another human.

"Oh Geeze." He muttered and saw the child looked up at him curiously he just shrugged "its nothing, just seems I have the return of an old headache." He said "Nothing Grillby's won't cure."

Why did he have to make a promise to watch out for this kid? He wasn't cut out to be a babysitter.

End Notes:

Right so I'm putting together a bit of a playlist, anyone have a suggestion if I like it I'll add it and when I do my playlist here I'll try and credit those who gave the suggestions.

Past that, this is hopefully going to be an interesting story, though likely also going to be a fairly short one. We'll see.


	3. Chapter 3

A Work in Progress

Chapter 3

-0-

I have next to no idea where I am going with this… I wish I was better with thinking up bad puns when writing… I can come up with them all day in a real world situation… what's funny is I love puns, especially groaners, to Sans is absolutely hilarious to me.

Usual disclaimers

-0-

"You know we are going to have to keep moving, I can already see the shadows starting to creep in on this place." Flowey said irritably to Frisk who sat very still, as if he sat as still as could be no one would notice him. "Besides, those bone heads have been useless. One keeps making that inedible spaghetti and the other sleeps all the time!"

*but mom* Frisk started and Flowey interrupted the child putting his petaled face into Frisk's.

"They said she may recover what that monster did to her, but us sitting around isn't stopping that demon! We have to figure out how to stop it, and we can't do it here. What will happen if that thing catches up to us here? How fast do you think it will go through these townfolks? Those skeleton brothers won't be strong enough. One's a bone brain and the other is a walking garbage pile! Not even walking! That would require too much effort on his part!" Flowey was getting warmed up to his subject of insulting the two people that for the time being has rather set themselves as the child's guardians. Frisk hadn't minded. They told him how Mom was doing and after Frisk got use to them, it hadn't really felt like they needed the child to respond much, Papyrus just made up dialog for Frisk, which was often amusing, and Sans, just seemed to know what Frisk was thinking most the time.

But Frisk knew that Flowey was right. Hiding in Snowdin was not the answer. Just, Frisk wasn't a fighter and once he leaves this place most everyone would be after him likely. He heard that word about him had already spread.

Frisk looked down biting his lip. He… had to be strong. Else everyone would die.

Picking up Flowey's current flower pot (a back pack. It had a good solid bottom and fit the flower well, which also let the child carry him without losing use of his hands) Frisk hopped down off the barstool at the currently empty Grillby's. The bartender had been in back shuffling stock around when Frisk came in, gave the child a sundae and then went back to work. It would go on Sans' tab like always.

As Frisk left a couple other patrons were coming in and the child watched them for a moment. He firmed his lips and sighed. No, he really didn't want to see anyone else die and he was going to have to go something.

Going back to the skeleton brother's home Frisk went inside and to the small box under the coffee table in the livingroom. There were a couple things there that might be useful. Just random things that Frisk found here and there that looked either cool or useful.

"We'll be leaving the snow so you aren't likely going to need snow boots once we get out of town." Frisk paused listening to Flowey's suggestion and nodded going instead for a lighter jacket. He got cold, so even if it wasn't as cold as Snowdin it was still likely to be chilly for the most part.

The pockets around the backpack was now filled with snacks and useful things Frisk settled it onto his back and taking out the notebook from around his neck left a note.

He wouldn't leave without at least letting them know.

"It will likely only make them follow, and that puts them in danger." Frisk firmed his lip at Flowey's words.

He left the note anyway.

*Let's go see Mom* it was on the way anyway.

Since it seemed that Frisk was going to have to put an end to all of this if he was going to save his friends.

They had to be free, then the monster couldn't follow anymore right?

Flowey was silent just watching Frisk. This was not the plan, This had never been his plan.

But he was going to have to work with what he had and there was far more deadly things to deal with now.

Two new things, and one should not be.

Frisk walked out of town heading for the next location in the underground. This was a journey he was going to have to make.

*Flowey?* he signed and the flower glanced over the child's shoulder.

"What is it now?"

*I'm glad you are here.* Frisk signed back.

Flowey fell back, silent and stunned "i…" and he just trailed off.

After awhile "I don't understand." He finally said.

*Its ok, I'll understand for both of us.*

"You… are a weirdo don't you know that?"

Frisk just silently laughed at the flower. Even as the shadows felt sinister. Everything was so much bigger than the ten year old and while the people of Snowdin had been friendly, the people that he may meet on the path may not be so.

He gripped the straps of his backpack and continued on.

He would figure this out, he would stop that thing and save everyone.

Frisk would save Mom, and now Sans and Papyrus.

He would.

-0-

Sans came back to the house early. Mostly to check up on the kiddo but also because something was bugging him. Something creeping in the shadows. Daisy's little brother went missing this morning, Paps was out looking for the little tyke, but Sans was on edge.

"Hey Kiddo, where you ate Bud?" maybe Frisk was down at Grillby's? Hands in pocket he looked around the house a bit and paused by the table in the living room. There was a note. Picking it up he read it over.

"Ah shit kid…" he rubbed his head, "Seemed you were feeling what I was feeling." He sighed. He was going to have to make sure the kiddo was safe. "Going to have to get Paps to introduce the kid to Undyne before that turns messy." He had been holding his brother off, mostly just trying to keep the kid on the down low, especially with a crazed demon on the loose killing people.

Plus he wanted to know what that flower's angle was this time.

And keeping the anomalies from happening too much. That was just one big headache, well bone ache anyway.

His phone rang and he answered it "What's up?"

"Sans?" Papyrus was unusually quiet. Sans felt himself go on edge.

"What's wrong?"

"You should, come out here. We, …. Oh god who would do that to a child.."

Sans was out the door in a nonexistent heartbeat.

-0-

"Was it the human?" Undyne was demanding of the skeleton brothers while the bunny clan mourned the loss of their youngest.

The child had not just been dusted, but someone ATE the baby. At least, parts of it.

Papyrus was the one that spoke up "No, Frisk would never hurt anyone like this. They are just trying to help!"

Sans sighed, glad in this case he could definitely depend on his brother. He'd taken a shine to the kid.

Undyne snorted "Then where is this human?" she demanded. "Not here to defend themselves huh?"

"The kid went to see Toriel." He covered, well that had been in the note, part of it anyway "And likely go talk to Asgore about a compromise until this situation is resolved. Chasing the squirt isn't going to stop the real killer here Undyne." Sans said "It killed everything in the ruins when the kid ran out and found me."

"Yes, and then you never told anyone that there was a human here at all! If this thing is here it's likely after the human, if you just took its soul to the King we wouldn't have THIS." She pointed back angrily at the scene behind them, grief and death.

Sans lowered his boney head, "That kid." He said softly "Been trying so hard, and holding so much on their shoulders. They ain't much older than Daisy's brother." He stared up his eye glowing dangerously blue "You expect me to kill a little kid."

Undyne stared. She was obviously trying not to take a step back from Sans, who just stood there with his skeleton smile and glowing eyes.

Papyrus rubbed his face "Look, if you just met the human." He told Undyne "I think you would agree that Frisk is not a danger here, that … thing… is. And it's dangerous. Its killed so many already and if we don't figure out a way to stop it, then more will die."

Undyne growled at them "Oh I know a way to stop it, catch that kid, give it to Asgore. Then it won't have a reason to be here right?"

Sans took a dangerous step forward and Papyrus grabbed Sans' shoulder "Undyne, just, talk to Frisk first. Before doing anything too hasty."

She stared at papyrus for a long moment "I can't guarantee anything but for you, I'll… talk…. First."

"That's all I ask." Papyrus smiled at his friend. She sighed and muttered something to herself that seemed to be a quiet 'how do I get myself into this shit?'

Sans shook off his brother's hold "I'm going to Grillby's." he said and stuffing hands in his pockets he walked off in the opposite direction from the town and pub.

He was likely going to end up there eventually. For now, he had other things to do.

End notes:

So these chapters on this story end up on the shorter side. But its definitely going to be an interesting story.

Right so had someone who put down their name as 'ElatedPolly' on ffnet suggest Pollyanna by Cathrine Warwick for my playlist. Great suggestion!

I have also added Best Day of My Life by imagine dragons. Doesn't fit quite as well with the story but it just makes me bounce while I write lol. And I can so see Sans and Papyrus dancing to it.


	4. Chapter 4

A Work In Progress

Chapter 4

-0-

Notes: getting quite a little playlist together, a few suggested songs and just a bunch of songs youtube suggested when I started running down the undertale amvs.

-0-

Frisk wasn't sure how she ended up with this monster kid, but the two of them walked along. The kid talking away.

Frisk was growing more nervous. She felt like someone stalked her. It hadn't been so bad at first, passing through the region she just wandered and looked for her route. Trying to find the right path. They couldn't help getting involved in some of the random things going on, like snail races. It, didn't go well, but it had been fun all the same.

Then the kid just, decided to go with her. She wondered if he didn't have many friends. Although he did have a huge case of hero worship of Undyne.

Frisk and Flowey ended up sharing a touch of annoyance, as they been trying to get the other child to go home.

"yeah, I should go home" the other child agreed but grinned hugely, if he had arms likely they would have been on his hips as he struck a pose, "But I'm not! I'm brave, and I heard that Undyne is currently searching for the human, I want to see when she catches them, I bet it will be awesome."

"Should I tell them? I want to tell them." Flowey said.

*Don't you dare.* Frisk frowned at the flower who snorted and ignored the other child who was going on and on about his hero Undyne and all her apparently hugely heroic exploits in the underground.

The little group had managed to avoid Undyne, who was indeed searching. Frisk sighed, there was something odd though, she had been pretty sure that Undyne had seen them hiding in the taller grass near one of the paths and had decided just to move on instead.

Was this armored titan really looking for them or something else? They were passing the echo flowers, the monster child excitedly showing Frisk how they worked.

' _twinkle twinkle little star,_

 _How I wonder what you are_

 _Up above the world so high_

 _Like a diamond in the sky_

 _When the blazing sun is gone_

 _When there nothing shines upon_

 _Then you show your little light_

 _Twinkle twinkle all the all the night_

 _Then the traveler in the dark_

 _Thanks you for your little spark.'_

The monster child was starting to look uncomfortable as they passed more echo flowers and each began humming the tune. Every. Single. Flower. Started picking up the melody, singing back the nursery rhyme in a weird hallow echoing voices that did not sound like any living being.

' _He could not see which way to go_

 _If not for your tiny glow_

 _When the blazing sun is gone,_

 _When there nothing shines upon_

 _Though I know not what you are_

 _Twinkle twinkle little star'_

The monster boy was leaning up against Frisk as they came out of the flowers, "W-what's that?" he stammered and Frisk looked up at Flowey's gasp.

There was a figure ahead of them, a human shaped shadow that seemed to be slowly pulling itself out of the ground, from the darkness cast by the light of the echo flowers.

It had no features, just an outline that formed blocking the path and slowly took a step towards them. A white blade cutting itself cross the thing's face like an evil smile.

"RUN!" Flowey shouted and they turned a few steps back to the flowers and the monster child tripped up hitting the ground hard.

Frisk skidded to a stop and turned around

"What are you doing? Keep running.. NO NOT BACK TOWARDS THE THING YOU IDIOT!"

Frisk ignored the flower in her backpack and got to the monster kid, grabbing him and pulling him to his feet to run away from the monster closing in on them, stretching from a form vaguely like Frisk's own, almost like some weird twisted dark mirror, but then was quickly becoming something far more monstrous. With limbs stretching out and hallow empty dead white holes for eyes. The mouth split grew wider and long needle like teeth formed.

Just as they reached the edge of the flowers the demon charged at them, only to be met with a spear shoving itself into the ground right before it. The black armored figure dropped down before them and blocked the monster from chasing the children.

"OMG!" the monster child said "it's Undyne!"

"Don't gawk you idiots, just keep running!" Flowey shouted at the two of them. Taking a vine to wack them both in the back of the head.

Frisk grabbed the monster child and ran back towards Snowdin, at least for the moment, away from here.

"There you are kiddo, I was looking for you." Sans' voice sounded and Frisk just ran headlong into the skeleton shaking like a leaf. "Hey hey! What's wrong?"

"There was a monster! Undyne dove down like, POW and was so amazing!" the monster child jumped up excited.

"Wait, hold on, Undyne's doing what now?" Sans said the glow of his eyes going out for a moment in shock.

"She's facing the demon!" Flowey told him.

What Sans said next had the monster child staring in awe and likely taking mental notes.

Even Flowey was a bit impressed. Wasn't much that could get the usually laid back skeleton shouting obscenities instead of puns.

"You kids, get somewhere inside, and I will go see if I can keep Undyne from getting herself killed."

Frisk held onto his jacket though as he took a couple steps away, her gaze scrunched up.

He sighed and hugged the scared child "I am not going to get myself killed, I'm just going to go grab undyne and get her to run like a sensible person." He promised her.

She let go, but only grudgingly.

Then Frisk and the monster child ran off, looking for safety.

Sans watched them go and after a moment turned back towards the way they came from, "Time for someone to get dunked on." He growled his eyes blazing.


End file.
